The ODI World Cup 2023 has been an electrifying spectacle for cricket enthusiasts worldwide, with India emerging as the standout team in the competition. Their recent victory over Bangladesh in the 17th match has solidified their status as tournament favorites, boasting an impressive four consecutive wins, showcasing their dominance.
However, amid this dream start, the spotlight has shifted to Shreyas Iyer, who has failed to seize multiple opportunities and subsequently garnered criticism for his batting approach. The legendary Indian cricketer, Sunil Gavaskar, didn’t mince words in his assessment of Iyer’s performance and urged him to learn from the patience and tenacity exhibited by Virat Kohli.
Iyer’s journey in the ODI World Cup 2023 has been a rollercoaster. Despite scoring a vital half-century against Afghanistan, he squandered several chances to make a significant impact in other matches. On multiple occasions, the stage was set for Iyer to shine, but he departed without making a substantial contribution.
The most recent letdown came in the match against Bangladesh. With India in a promising position, Iyer had the golden opportunity to convert his start into a match-winning performance. Regrettably, he couldn’t capitalize on this chance, leaving fans and pundits disheartened.
Following the disheartening performance against Bangladesh, Sunil Gavaskar, one of India’s cricketing legends, held nothing back in his criticism of Iyer. Gavaskar used strong language to express his disappointment, emphasizing the significance of patience and determination in a batsman’s approach. He contrasted Iyer’s impatience with the resilience and composure displayed by Virat Kohli.
“He (Shreyas Iyer) lost his patience. He was batting on 19, threw his wicket away. Shubman Gill (was batting on) fifty (52), threw his wicket away. Kohli never does that. Kohli will seldom ever throw his wicket away. He makes you earn his wicket. And that is exactly what you need. When he got to 70-80, realizing that he has an opportunity to get to a hundred and why not? Hundreds don’t come every day,” said Gavaskar on Star Sports.
“You need to know how to get to a hundred, and it’s important for Shreyas Iyer and Shubman Gill. Shubman Gill is at least getting hundreds, Shreyas Iyer is not getting hundreds. He is getting his opportunities to bat at number 4 on pitches as good as these and attacks as toothless as this, and he is throwing away the opportunity,” he added.
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